The Department of Transport (DoT) in Abu Dhabi announced today its Multi-modal Freight Master Plan (FMP), an integrated framework that seeks to create safe and fair regulations supporting the economic efficiency of freight sector, whilst improving standards of truck operations. The FMP sets the DOT’s strategy of ensuring that the freight transport sector is safe, fair and efficient.

Developed in close coordination and cooperation with many government and private
sector stakeholders who are directly involved in planning and providing freight
transportation services in the Emirate, nationwide and beyond, the Freight Master
Plan is geared towards improving safe standards for freight operations by organising
its recommendations around nine themes:

1. Freight governance
2. Multi-modal policy
3. Freight planning guidance
4. Road infrastructure
5. Road freight traffic management
6. Road freight industry management
7. Rail freight
8. Sea freight
9. Air freight

The Freight Master Plan launch event, which takes place on February 3 and 4, 2014,
has priortised safety as the key pillar by focusing on three well-integrated areas that
help create awareness amongst key stakeholders through various tools and initiatives
such as awareness documents, supporting tools, promotional campaigns and
initiatives as well as direct meetings and workshops.

The first area focuses on “Better Truck Maintenance”, providing guidance to vehicle
operators on how to implement an effective system for truck safety inspections and
maintenance management whilst setting out requirements for daily vehicle checks
with regular inspections and maintenance procedures.
The second area, ‘Check Your Truck’, provides further instruction to drivers and
those responsible for pre-shift walk around truck safety inspections, detailing items
to be checked and with an action roadmap if a defect is found. The guide is
supported by a comprehensive checklist sheet that pays great attention to the
management of truck driving hours as a very persistent issue.

The third area, ‘Stop Sleepy Drivers’, highlights the severe risks of truck driver
fatigue and provides guidance to managers and company owners on how to set up an
implement an effective plan to overcome this problem. It highlights some important
solutions such as appropriate pre-trip or forward planning to minimise fatigue,
keeping details of regular and irregular truck trips for their managers and inspectors
in a well-maintained and easily accessible documentation. Besides, drivers should not
be required to drive unreasonable distances in insufficient time and without
sufficient notice and provision for adequate rest.

Mr. Mohammed Nasser Al Otaiba, Director of Freight Division, DoT, said: “As the issue
of safety for all roads users is not one of compromise, truck incidents have negative
consequences on both the life of people and the economy. The Freight Master Plan is
gearing towards ensuring trucks are a safe means of goods transportation through its
meticulous voluntary and obligatory guidance and regulations.”

“The DoT is committed to working closely with all stakeholders in this Plan,
especially truck operators and regulators to ascertain that trucks are well maintained
and regularly checked by professionals and do not pose a threat on the road and that
drivers do not feel exhausted while behind the wheel. By committing to the guidance
and regulations, operators and drivers can be very positive partners in road safety
avoiding the costly penalties of non-compliance.” he added. 

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